AVADirect X370 Quiet Gaming PC Review

Quiet and Beautiful

AVADirect wasn’t really a systems builder on our radar until late last year when we reviewed their Avant Mini Cube Gaming PC. After extensive testing, we found that the system was well configured, well built, and well priced, quickly propelling AVADirect to the top as one of our favorite custom PC builders.

Recently, AVADirect sent us another one of the systems in their lineup, the AVADirect X370 Quiet Gaming PC, which as its name implies is AVADirect’s quiet gaming PC offering based on AMD’s X370 Ryzen platform.

Razer’s Project Linda Turns Your Razer Phone into a Laptop PC

Razer is demoing its newest concept design, Project Linda, at CES 2018. Razer’s project Linda aims to leverage the power of the Razer Phone and instantly transforms it into an Android based laptop PC. The concept is similar to the Windows Dock or the Samsung DeX Station, but rather than dock to a desktop PC, Project Linda seamlessly docks the phone right into the laptop.

The way it works is that the Razer Phone docks in face-up position where the touchpad would normally be found. This allows the phone to be used as the touchpad and the phone’s forward facing onboard speakers serve as speakers for the system as well. Having the phone in a face-up [...]

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January 6, 2018

The Best Gaming Monitors of 2018

Sight, touch and smell are the only three senses that are used when operating a computer and as a result, the monitor is easily one of if not the most important component for a fulfilling gaming experience. After all, no matter how powerful your rig may be, it’s all for nothing if the performance can’t be properly translated. Today we’ll show you some of our favorite gaming monitors that can keep pace with your kill streak.

Best FreeSync Gaming Monitor
Nixeus NX-EDG27

The best FreeSync gaming monitor is the Nixeus NX-EDG27. This monitor ticks off all the boxes: high refresh rate, great color quality, FreeSync support, and a [...]

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November 24, 2017

How to Disable Game DVR and Game Bar in Windows 10

One of the newer gamer-centric features of Windows 10 is the Game Bar and Game DVR, which is a feature designed to allow gamers to record gameplay in the background so if something amazing happens, you have proof to show all your friends. Since you don’t really know when you’ll pull off that amazing quadruple melee kill, Game DVR can automatically record all gaming video in the background so when that amazing moment happens, you can simply save it to show all your friends.

Of course, if you already have another service such as Nvidia ShadowPlay or have a dedicated capture card recording footage for you, you may not need to have Game Bar or Game DVR. [...]

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October 16, 2017

Microsoft’s Latest Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Now Available

The next major feature update for Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system is here.

The Windows 10 Fall Creator’s Update brings a long list of improvements and new features. Finally integrated is the long-promised desktop chat integration for contacts from LinkedIn and Skype, as well as a new Android and iPhone linking feature. You won’t be able to respond to text messages, but you’ll be able send browser sessions from your phone directly to your desktop for future viewing.

AR, or Augmented Reality, is also receiving a lot of love. The Fall Creators Update will prepare your system to be AR ready right off the get-go, no setup [...]

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October 18, 2017

E-mail Protocol Comparison: POP3 vs IMAP vs Exchange

So you’re setting up your brand new desktop, laptop or smartphone and you come across the option to choose the type of account or protocol to use and you have zero idea what any of it actually does. Don’t worry. We’ve been there before which is why today we’ll be comparing three of the most common e-mail protocols in use today.

POP3

POP3, or Post Office Protocol Version 3, is one of the e-mail protocols quickly losing popularity today thanks to the rise of broadband and mobile broadband internet.

The way POP3 works is once it’s setup on an e-mail client (Windows Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, [...]

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October 12, 2017

Windows Phone is Confirmed Dead

After a succession of failures, Joe Belfiore, VP of Operating Systems at Microsoft, confirmed via Twitter that Microsoft will not be creating another Windows phone.

In another Tweet, Belfiore explained that Windows Phone’s phone’s fundamental issue was one it had since day one: the lack of apps. Users won’t use a phone with no apps, and companies won’t develop apps for a platform with no users. This vicious cycle is what ultimately drove the nail in the coffin. Joe also promised that Windows 10 mobile will continue to receive security updates, but active development in both hardware and software have [...]

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October 6, 2017

Assassin’s Creed Origins PC System Requirements Revealed

For those waiting patiently for the latest installment in the highly popular Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ubisoft recently released system requirements for the PC version of the game so you can make preparations to play when it launches on October 27.

Assassin’s Creed Origins which will be set in ancient Egypt is expected to feature the largest worlds in the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

How to Rebuild Search Index File in Windows 10

Windows 10’s search function is one of the most powerful tools in the operating system. Users can easily search for files, programs, and settings straight from the desktop. To speed up searches, Windows has an Index file that keeps track of what’s in the system and where. Unfortunately, not all the things you need are automatically indexed and sometimes residual program entries will still appear after they’ve been uninstalled.

To fix this issue and to include additional locations, you’ll need to rebuild the index file. Here’s how.

Rebuild the Search Index File
Step 1

Hit the Windows Key and immediately type [...]

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October 2, 2017

Microsoft Ending Groove Music Streaming by End of Year

Microsoft’s Groove Music streaming service (formerly known as XBOX music) will end its run on December 31. Rest in peace.

Microsoft explains that the Groove music app will continue to work as a standalone player for local music, and will continue to be able to stream music stored in OneDrive. Only the streaming service will end.

For streaming, Microsoft has reached out to Groove’s biggest competitor, Spotify. Microsoft has partnered closely with Spotify to promote the service, and is currently developing a new music app for the Windows Store. Customers with existing playlists on Groove Music will be able to export them to Spotify easily via the [...]